``Dalit Ezhilmalai (PMK representative and Union Minister of State for Health) will resign if Ramamurthy is removed from the Petroleum Ministry'', he told mediapersons today. However, he made it clear that the PMK, in the event of its nominee's withdrawal, would continue to provide support to the BJP-led Government ``from outside''.

However, when Ramadoss objected to the PMk being handed a lone Ministerial berth despite the party having four MPs, Jayalalitha on the eve of the swearing-in asked the PMK leader to take the Petroleum portfolio for his nominee. But Ramadoss turned down the offeras he felt it was unfair to grab the portfolio from Ramamurthy a few hours before the swearing-in.

Jayalalitha then assured to get another Ministerial berth for the PMK, Ramadoss said. `So it was she who got the portfolio for him'', Ramadoss argued.

Asked why he had chosen to go public on the portfolio issue, he candidly admitted that ``certain things cannot be taken up with her directly. It can be done only through the Press''. Hinting that all was not well within the AIADMK, he said that even at the tea party hosted by Jayalalitha in New Delhi, the PMK was among the last invitees.

``We were invited only after the BJP received the invitation'', he complained, responding to a query on whether Jayalalitha was adopting a `big-sisterly' attitude towards the alliance partners.

However, he played down the friction, insisting that the AIADMK-led front was united. ``PMK will stick to the AIADMK'', he said. But in a trice, he contradicted himself, stating that he had been wrongly quoted as saying that thePMK would cling to the AIADMK till his lifetime.

Offering another suggestion to Jayalalitha, he said that she should strive to improve the infrastructure of the State by getting a few more infrastructure-related portfolios including Railways, Civil Aviation and Telecommunications for the representatives of the AIADMK-led combine. She can also demand another berth for C P Radhakrishnan, BJP MP from Tamil Nadu.

She could hold monthly review meetings with the Ministers and ensure speedy implementation of the projects. If there were logjams still, she could ``fight with the Prime Minister'' and get the projects going. `` Only then will the Press which she claims has always been critical of her, will stop its campaign. And when she recaptures power in the State, Tamil Nadu will be the number one State'', he noted.

As for caste clashes in Ramanathapuram district in the State, he said both the Thevars and Dalits particularly Puthiya Tamizhagam leader K Krishnasamy, who was projecting himself as the solesaviour of the Dalit community, were responsible for the volatile situation in the southern districts.

Ramadoss alleged that Krishnasamy was hobnobbing with the fundamentalist Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam. Asked about the RSS, he said, ``I know the RSS is much worse. I have always been criticising the activities and I admit that it is remote-controlling the Government'', Ramadoss shot back.

On the Sri Lankan ethinic issue, he said India should not be a silent spectator to the killing of Tamils by the Lankan military and should intervene in the crisis.